The Price of Happiness
by platinumblind
Summary: Post-ME3 (Destroy ending). Three years after the end of the Reaper War, Commander Shepard's new life as politician and wife of the Primarch has finally made her feel complete, but an announcement from a friend makes her realise that there is still an important piece of the puzzle missing.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, all. For those that have followed any of my previous stories, you know I'm not the best at keeping to an update schedule. And unfortunately I've made the silly decision to start a new fic about a month before the end of my first year of university, when I have heaps of work to do. But hey, I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment, haha. Hope you all enjoy this latest work of mine. It was inspired by my most recent playthrough of the trilogy as well as a particular rom-com I watched recently.**

**As always, please leave a review if you decide to read, I always appreciate feedback.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or places mentioned, it all belongs to Bioware.**

The Price of Happiness

Chapter One

A gentle breeze blew its way around the Presidium, catching in her shoulder-length ruby red locks as she sat quietly on a bench, admiring the beautiful views ahead of her and drowning out the sound of those around her with the depth of her own thoughts.

Three years ago, Jorja Shepard didn't even think she would still be alive to see this place again, let alone see it repaired, completely intact and restored to its former glory. It certainly took a special kind of strength to block out the cruel memories that still taunted her occasionally in the dead of night: the piles of corpses, the eerie droning sounds of the Reapers overhead, the immense physical pain tearing her to shreds as she struggled to stay alive just long enough to see the Reapers lose their war. Some days, it seemed like the entire thing had been a million years ago. Other days, Shepard struggled to remind herself that it was all over.

A small smile crept across her features as she thought of her second time returning from the dead, and what had brought her back from the inner darkness that threatened to consume her. Not so much a _what_, but a _who_. Even three years on, it made a knot in her stomach to think back to what she was sure would be their final encounter together, in London, as they declared their love for each other and she stepped off the Normandy to go and save the galaxy. Another three years prior to that and he had been just a turian, a frustrated C-Sec Officer who wanted to contribute more to bringing down the enemies of the galaxy. Their first meeting seemed to have been written in the stars; their relationship had slowly evolved from that of a commander and her crew mate, to that of close friends who watched each others' backs, to that of lovers and soul mates. When she had been recovered from that wreck following the end of the war, it was him who was her constant, never leaving her side as she lay in a coma for seven months. He had been her light at the end of that long tunnel, that wonderful reward that made her want to keep fighting when she didn't think she could continue the battle any longer.

She wasn't sure if she would ever completely get used to wearing the gold band on her ring finger, or the foreign feeling of blue paint on her face. It still made her emotional to look back on that day. That particular day when he painted those clan markings on her face for the first time, as he recited vows that he had promised her he would write for the special day, describing how beautiful she was to him, inside and out, and how he would love and cherish her until the end of time. That particular day had been a little over a year ago, but she still remembered it like it was yesterday.

The sound of a cough jolted her from her thoughts, and she glanced up to see a smartly-dressed human male standing in front of her, clutching a datapad in one hand.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Madam Councillor Shepard, but I have been instructed to bring you a brief on what topics will be brought up at this afternoon's Council meeting."

Shepard took the datapad with a nod. "Thank you. Is the meeting still scheduled for 1500 hours?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Great. Thanks, John." As the assistant gave a curt nod and turned to walk away, Shepard stood up. "Oh, and John?"

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"It's Madam Councillor Shepard-Vakarian now, remember?"

"V-Vakarian? As in, Primarch Vakarian of Palaven?"

"Yes."

The assistant gasped, raising his hands out in front of him apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry for the mistake Ma'am, I did not mean to offend."

Shepard shook her head forgivingly with a grin. "No offence taken, John. Thanks again."

As he walked away, she considered how amusing it was to spectate different people's reactions to the news that she was now married, and to a Turian nonetheless. Well, there had been those that had always judged her, and she didn't think that would _ever _change.

* * *

Shepard made her way down the steps to Apollo's Café, scanning the crowds quickly with her eyes as she looked for her lunch date. Reaching with one hand to tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, she smiled as she caught sight of the individual she had been looking for, sitting at a table in the far corner clutching a menu.

"Hello, Shepard. I'm glad you could make it."

"Hey, Liara."

Shepard greeted her Asari friend with a quick hug before pulling out the chair on the opposite side of the table and taking a seat. "It's busy here today," she noted, glancing at the long queue of people at the bar. She shuffled in her chair slightly, turning her attention to her friend across the small silver table. "How have you been?"

Liara smiled a genuine smile, one that squeezed her eyes shut briefly. "I have been... very well," she responded, "Feron and I moved to Thessia just recently. The views from our apartment are quite beautiful, it feels really good to be back home."

"That's great, Liara," replied Shepard, "I'm really happy for you."

"And how are things with Earth's newest Council representative?"

To that question, Shepard snorted. "Definitely beats retirement, but still unquestionably frustrating. Constant meetings keep me busy, and unfortunately the same goes for Garrus since he was sworn in as Primarch. I like to hope that he's not as miserable in this position as he was at C-Sec, but like I always say, politicians are the weeds of the galaxy. He's probably working with more criminals now than he ever has before."

A chuckle escaped Liara's lips, though her eyes were fixed on the menu in front of her. "Poor Garrus. I really must see him sometime. It's been a while since I came for dinner."

"I know. We really should schedule something. Remind me before we're done with lunch, we'll sync up our omni-tools and try to find some dates that work. We'll do an evening when I'm not buried in datapads and Garrus isn't having four hour vid conversations with irritating colony ambassadors."

"Definitely." The two friends caught eyes over their menus, both smiling gratefully at each other.

As they spent the next hour eating lunch and catching up on the small things, such as Feron and Liara's petty arguments over wall colours in their new home and Shepard's battle to make friends with her stubborn anti-human father-in-law, Shepard noticed that Liara seemed... oddly distracted, and not quite herself. She couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but she had known the asari long enough to know there was something wrong.

"So how long are we going to sit here and talk about the battle of Elcor grey versus Earth blue before you tell me what's eating at you?" Shepard asked, as she took a small sip of her drink.

Liara shot a look at Shepard, opening her mouth promptly to speak but then shutting it just as quickly, which only made Shepard more suspicious. "Come on Liara, what's going on? You know you can tell me."

There was an awkward silence across the table as Shepard sat there, eyebrows raised at her asari friend, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Alright Shepard, well, there _was_ a reason I asked you to lunch," Liara spoke hesitantly, knitting her fingers and thumbs together nervously in front of her on the table. Another awkward silence.

"And that reason is...?"

Suddenly, Liara caught Shepard's eye and beamed a massive smile at her, which almost caught Shepard off guard. "I'm pregnant, Shepard," she whispered excitedly.

Shepard's jaw dropped, only to be replaced in a second with a smile to equal Liara's. "Oh, my... Liara, congratulations!" She latched onto Liara's hands with her own, giving them a quick squeeze. "I thought last time we spoke about the subject you were unsure about whether you wanted kids?"

"I was, and in all honesty Shepard, this wasn't a planned situation. But Feron and I discussed it, and last week we went to my first doctor's appointment, and it was all just so surreal. We're really happy, Shepard. I'm really happy."

"Well, if you're happy, then so am I. You know, this baby is going to come into the world with a lot of crazy aunts and uncles around him," Shepard joked. Suddenly she was faced with a very strange image in her mind of a little blue baby running around with Grunt, shouting about sharks and battlemasters. As if sharing the mental image, Liara flashed Shepard a look of both mock horror and amusement, and the two friends laughed at each other.

"So, what are you going to do about your, er... job?" Shepard asked, mutely referring to Liara's position as the Shadow Broker.

"It isn't a position I can simply step down from, Shepard. It won't be easy, but I have Feron's support. I know what I'm doing, trust me."

It was strange in a way that Shepard was worrying so much for Liara, given the fact that the asari was about seventy or so years older than her. But her position as the Shadow Broker put her in a constantly dangerous position, and Shepard reasoned that she wouldn't be a very good friend if she didn't worry about Liara, especially now that it wasn't just about Liara anymore, it was now about her little baby too.

Noting the unsure expression on Shepard's face, Liara spoke again. "I also have a small battalion of asari commandos, don't forget."

At that, Shepard couldn't help but laugh. Liara always had an answer to everything.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to all for the reviews, favs and follows. All the love is very much appreciated! Please keep the reviews coming, like I always say, your feedback is invaluable to me.**

Chapter Two

The couple lived in a moderately sized apartment on the Citadel, within a well sought out apartment complex in the centre of the newly refurbished Dakota Ward. This was not their only home – being Primarch of Palaven meant that Garrus was now resident of the official Primarch's home on the planet, but there was so much off world work to attend to that he was rarely ever there. Most of his time was spent in meetings and talks on the Citadel, and with Shepard being on the Council it made sense that they would purchase a place to live there. It certainly saved them tons of credits in hotel stays – not that they were short for credits after the last few years of events.

Shepard felt drained as she swiped the key card and entered the apartment, her mind lazily going through all the events of the day. The Council meeting had been both long winded and irritating, but that wasn't what her mind was focused on as she sauntered through to the kitchen and poured herself a small glass of Peruvian Whiskey – a wedding gift from Kaidan which was rarely ever touched.

Liara's announcement had knocked Shepard for six as being entirely unexpected. The asari and her drell companion had only been a couple for a little short of a year, although they had been friends for much longer, and Liara had never seemed like the type to settle down and have a family. She enjoyed archaeological digs and endless hours of tedious research, and Shepard silently wondered to herself how Liara would handle the change of pace that came with being pregnant and subsequently being a mother.

This was not the only thing bothering Shepard. The truth was, the end of the war and her new found role as a wife and council member had changed Shepard's perspectives on life, and the idea of becoming a mother was not something totally far from her list of priorities. Shepard's mind drifted back to London, when her relationship with Garrus had only just begun to blossom, and seemed as though it was about to be ground to a tragic halt by the possible destruction of the galaxy. She remembered his words: "...maybe even find out what a turian-human baby looks like". They had nervously laughed off the idea as quickly as he had suggested it, but now they were in a much different place and the idea was no longer something she wished to dismiss with an anxious chuckle. Shepard loved her husband, and this was the ideal next step for both of them. Wasn't it? They hadn't spoken of it in so long that she was unsure if it was still what Garrus wanted.

Maybe the time had come to broach the subject, she thought to herself as she slowly padded into the living area, a loving smile etched across her tired features as she saw her bondmate, draped across the sofa which was facing towards the large floor to ceiling windows; the deal clinching aspect of purchasing the apartment as it granted them a beautiful view of the Presidium lakes below.

"It's a beautiful night," the sleepy red head started, wandering round the sofa so that she was face to face with her turian lover.

"It is," came Garrus' reply, though she could tell from the long sigh that accompanied his response that something was eating at him.

"Long day?"

Garrus caught Shepard's gaze and emitted a small chortle. "Like you wouldn't believe, Shepard."

It seemed odd to those close to the couple that Garrus still referred to Shepard by her maiden name, but they had both shrugged it off by explaining that it was something they were used to. While Garrus used Shepard's first name more often now than he ever had before, the formality of their years as crewmates would never wear away. It was as crewmates that they discovered their love for one another, after all – and why would they want to dismiss that?

Shepard tapped Garrus' feet gently, at which he slid them along onto the carpeted floor and sat up straight, allowing his wife to sit down beside him and succumb to his loving embrace. "The new asari councillor's administrative assistant asked me today what the paint was for," Shepard spoke, signalling to the clan markings on her face which were now starting to fade due to the end of the day. The paint never lasted as long on her face as it did on Garrus. "She seemed shocked when I explained it to her."

"After how far this galaxy has come, you'd think the idea of a human wearing her clan markings wouldn't elicit such a strange reaction," Garrus responded, "Especially from an asari. Aren't they meant to be intelligent beings?"

Shepard laughed. "You don't see many humans bonded to turians, I guess. Our kind only met yours forty or so years ago. Some people must think we all still want to kill each other."

"Indeed."

The next few minutes were devoid of words, only gentle sounds of Garrus' purring subharmonics as he cuddled up to his mate, both of them fixated on the relaxing view of the lakes outside.

As Shepard sat silently, enjoying the view and the warm embrace of her husband, her mind began to tick again. She pictured the two of them sat as they were, only with a tiny bundle wrapped in her arms. The image gave her heart a little flutter, and for a moment she felt waves of emotion overcome her. This was what she wanted. Surely it was what Garrus wanted too?

"I... got some news today." She gently pushed the subject out into the room with her words. Garrus looked down at her, his mandibles flexing with curiosity.

"What kind of news?"

The image of an excited, beaming Liara flashed through her mind. "Some news from Liara, actually."

"I haven't seen Liara for months. I almost forgot what her face looks like," Garrus chirped sarcastically with a grin. "What was her news?"

Shepard paused for a moment before continuing. "Well... she's pregnant!"

"That's... wow. So she'll be swapping datapads and dig sites for baby books and asari mothering classes?"

"I guess so." Shepard tried to read Garrus' expression, but couldn't quite place it. Sometimes it frustrated her that she was still learning to pick up on his subharmonics, which often was an invaluable way of figuring out what the turian was feeling or thinking. She had had a special cochlea implant fitted some months ago specifically for this purpose – the latest salarian technology – but she had been warned that it would take her inner ear muscles some time to get used to the change. For the most part she was there, but there were still rare occasions when she couldn't quite pick it up.

As Garrus turned his attention back to the window, Shepard eyed him once more, looking for some clue as to what he was thinking.,

"It made me think about... when it might be our turn."

The room fell deadly silent. Shepard drew in a slow breath, eyeing her husband as she waited for some kind of response. Damn it, what was he thinking?

"Thank the Spirits, Jorja," He finally spoke, his voice drenched with relief, "I've wanted to discuss this with you for a long time. I wasn't sure when the time was going to be right – what with my Primarch inauguration and then you moving onto the Council, it just seemed as though it was never going to be on our radar."

Suddenly Shepard was full of emotions. Excitement at the prospect of being a parent, nervous, irritated that so many things had gotten in the way of them having the conversation sooner.

She put a hand to her stomach, feeling nauseous about it all, and then another flutter of excitement came over her as she realised where she had rested her hand. Some day soon there might be a little something living in here, she thought, giving her stomach a small pat.

"Remember back in London, when you told me you'd like to find out what a turian-human baby looks like?" she asked with a smile, "I never forgot that you'd said that. It meant the world to me that you wanted that with me."

Garrus' mandibles flexed his features into a smile, and he pulled his wife into a tight one-armed squeeze. "And I still want that, but I still don't think our biology will cooperate. The salarians can do some damn right brilliant things, but this? Maybe not." He leaned in and gave her an unexpected kiss. "Besides, I think if our biology were to work together, you would have fallen pregnant a long time ago." His eyes flashed a wicked look in her direction, and she grinned in mute agreement. They had spent more than enough time over the past few years testing his reach and her flexibility, so to speak.

"Agreed. So, how do we do this? You were right about there being a lot of baby krogan around now, but I'm not sure we would still have an intact apartment if we adopted one. It's bad enough when Grunt comes to visit."

Garrus chuckled slightly. "Hm, yeah, last time he was here I had to remove 8,956 videos of sharks from our computer, and he destroyed the glass 'Globe of Palaven' that Solana got us as a wedding present."

Shepard grimaced to herself as she thought back to Grunt's last visit a few months prior. So many sharks on the computer screen... so much glass all over the floor. Ouch.

"I think we'll have to do a little research, and decide what would be the best course of action for this situation," she said, and then she leaned forward to put her now empty whiskey glass on the coffee table in front of her before standing up. "Now, come to bed, I'm exhausted."

"You are full of good ideas this evening, Mrs Vakarian," Garrus spoke as he stood up, a sensual tone to his voice that Shepard couldn't ignore.

"Mrs Shepard-Vakarian, actually," she teased, taking his hand in hers as she flashed him a smile, leading him out of the living room and into their bedroom.


End file.
